>>If it is the objective of having an observation hive to observe 
doing what comes narurally, including gathering and using propolis 
and making swarming preparations wouldn't it be better to find an 
observation hive that suits the bees rather than vice versa?

This would be the case if I was setting up an ob hive for myself. I 
have to set up an ob hive for a nature center that gets a lot of 
visiting children.  Their primary interest is to excitedly find the 
marked queen and then quickly move off to another exhibit...  
Children had a longer attention span when I was little or may be they 
were less high on sucrose... :))

Waldemar

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